Evaluating the Historic Change in Per Capita Nominal Consumption of Animal Products in Canada Over the Past 60 to 100 years

Abstract

Since the early 1960s, the global anthropogenic food systems have become incredibly resource intensive and have caused a global increase in greenhouse gas emissions, freshwater scarcity, land cover conversion, and biodiversity loss. Animal agriculture, defined by the production of land-based animals for meat, milk, eggs, and other products, is a major sub-section within these global food systems that greatly contributes to the environmental degradation caused by food systems. The balance of scholarly evidence demonstrates that animal products are the most environmentally impactful products to produce and consume, and 53% of food-related emissions are derived from livestock systems. Due to the impactful environmental footprint of animal products, changing people's dietary choices and reducing meat consumption on a population level is critical to planetary health. Within the Canadian context, three quarters of food-related emissions are derived from the consumption of animal products, and reducing consumption of animal products will decrease the impact of the Canadian lifestyle on the environment. This research investigates how historical trajectories of Canadian per capita consumption of high-impact animal products have changed over time. Per capita consumption of beef, pork, chicken, turkey, eggs, and milk is calculated using Statistics Canada production and disappearance data to examine changes in consumption over time. The results indicate that poultry currently dominates the livestock consumption in Canada, and there have been significant increases in poultry consumption over time. Beef, pork, milk, and egg consumption have decreased over time, although, the total meat consumption has remained high throughout time with no significant variation. The study adds to the evolving body of literature on agriculture and the environment by examining historic consumption trajectories of high-impact products which can be used to inform modelling scenarios of future Canadian consumption. In turn, this can help better inform decision-makers to understand the impact that potential interventions for influencing the changes in the Canadian diet could have on the Canadian environment. Keywords: Food systems, Historical consumption, Animal-based protein, Canadian diet, Dietary patterns